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“Smile” – Lily Allen
(Words/music: Lily Allen, Iyiola Babalola, Darren Lewis, and Jackie Mitoo, available on Alright, Still, Regal Recordings 2006)

In the world of pop music, frankness turns heads.  By being blunt and a little vulgar, Lily Allen earned a large audience quickly.  “Smile,” her first single, cuts right to the chase by naming the reason for loathing her ex.  Where other breakup songs might dance around the act and focus immediately on the narrator’s emotional state, Allen briefly addresses her mood and then, plaintively, cites he ex “fucking that girl next door” as the source of her mental strife.  While bluntness usually deprives a song of nuance and subtlety, Allen does it to bring the listener to her side immediately; we know why she’s upset and empathize (if not connect) with her situation.  Then, when she comes around to finding joy in her ex’s misery, we feel vindication for her rather than merely seeing her as a sadist.  The difference between cheering for the narrator’s victory and seeing her as a psycho ex-girlfriend comes in her opening admission.  It also sets the tone for her album (and, to a lesser degree, her career as a pop star) – one where Allen’s unfiltered perspective distinguishes her from her contemporaries.

Of course, none of this matters without the song, and “Smile” serves as a suitable musical vehicle for Allen’s story of heartbreak and redemption.  The basic track, a light, reggae-tinged instrumental, stays out of the way, letting Allen tell her story in a very casual voice.  She’s not using her speaking voice, but her verses carry the same sort of casual tone and normal conversational cadence.  As a result, we feel like we’re hearing the story from a friend rather than an anonymous pop singer. This isn’t to sell her backing track short – there are some nice vocal harmonies and keyboard riffs mixed in there – but it stays a backing track by firmly pushing Allen and her story to the forefront.  This makes her successful; other pop stars possess the big personalities that make those bombastic tracks work (think of something like “Crazy in Love” or “Toxic”), but Allen requires a smaller production that lets her quirky personality shine.  Even if it’s not as ubiquitous as some of those larger-than-life singles, I’d imagine a song like “Smile” might resonate on a deeper level than some of those mega-hits.

More on Lily Allen: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm